Liverpool & Newcastle United stars will miss Carabao Cup final - if this happens tonight

In just 18 days’ time, the two clubs will meet at Wembley with the Reds looking to win the competition for the second year running, while Newcastle are bidding to end their 70-year wait for a domestic trophy.

The meeting at Anfield tonight- as important as it is for both sides in the context of the league table - is being labelled a Wembley dress rehearsal, although Magpies’ head coach Eddie Howe has played down the possibility of using his poker face.

“I was never any good at poker, so there's a bit of breaking news for you,” Howe said at his pre-match press conference. “No, I don't think so. I think this game in isolation takes preference over any future game that we have.

“We'll look at this game in total isolation and just try and deliver something that we think can give us the best conditions to try and win. That'll be the same for any future games we have. I’m not trying to be clever. We just want to try and win this game.”

In the words of Neil Warnock...

What did Neil Warnock once say? Ah yes... “by all means enjoy it but enjoy by being -beeping- disciplined”. Now this isn’t to say Howe should adopt a similar style team talk (!), but Warnock’s words feel somewhat relevant to Newcastle tonight.

That is because if any Newcastle, or Liverpool player for that matter, was to be shown a straight red card for violent conduct then they would be handed a three-match domestic ban and therefore miss the Carabao Cup final.

If you’re in doubt over what constitutes as violent conduct, here’s the FA explanation: “Violent conduct is when a player uses or attempts to use excessive force or brutality against an opponent when not challenging for the ball, or against a team-mate, team official, match official, spectator or any other person, regardless of whether contact is made.

“In addition, a player who, when not challenging for the ball, deliberately strikes an opponent or any other person on the head or face with the hand or arm, is guilty of violent conduct unless the force used was negligible.”

The Magpies’ next three games are Brighton & Hove Albion in the FA Cup, West Ham United in the Premier League and then Liverpool at Wembley.

Newcastle United have been stung before

Fabian Schar served a three-match ban earlier in the season when he clashed with Ben Brereton Diaz. As a result, the former Switzerland international missed Premier League games against AFC Bournemouth and Tottenham Hotspur, as well as the Carabao Cup second round at Nottingham Forest.

And remember what happened when Newcastle reached the Carabao Cup final two years ago? Nick Pope, against tonight’s opponents, was sent off for a handball. A one-match ban, and the goalkeeper missed the cup final.

Newcastle will be hoping to avoid a repeat of all of the above and go to Wembley with a full squad.